Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (68 page)

For internal mouth/gum abscesses, swirl some aloe vera juice around in your mouth and then spit it out.

Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial that can be applied topically to external abscesses. Mix with water (1 part tea tree oil to 4 parts water) and dab onto external abscesses every few hours.

Once the abscess has drained, apply calendula cream to help it to heal.

Take showers instead of baths until the abscess has completely gone. This prevents the infection from spreading. Hygiene is critical. Wash your hands meticulously, too.

Tissue cell salts of silica can help the healing process once the abscess has opened and the pus has gone. You can also get silica in gel form.

Dry skin brushing daily followed by a hot and cold shower will help to get the lymph moving and will aid elimination through the skin. Lymph is the fluid that moves toxins out of the body. Avoid the actual area of the abscess.

ACID/ALKALINE BALANCE

To appreciate the importance of acid/alkaline balance (also known as pH, or potential hydrogen balance), understand that all of our billions of cells need to be alkaline in order to carry out nearly every bodily function.

As each cell performs its work, it secretes acid wastes that need to be neutralized for health to be maintained. In other words, we need to be alkaline to be healthy but are constantly creating acids in the body. The problem nowadays is that due to poor diet, a lot of people are more acidic than they should be. This is mainly caused by diet. As maintaining
alkalinity is paramount for survival, the body will take minerals from other body parts if the diet does not supply adequate amounts; for example, magnesium and potassium may be taken from the heart, causing cramping or strokes, and calcium may be taken from the heart, causing cramping or strokes, and calcium may be taken from the bones, leading to osteoporosis.

A body that has been overly acidic for a long time will be more susceptible to chronic or acute disease. For example, if excess acid is eventually dumped in the tissues and joints, arthritic symptoms could result.

CAUSES

All of the following tend to create an acidic state in the body:

High-protein diet.

Exercise/physical activity (this creates lactic acid).

Sweating (this can lead to a loss of alkaline minerals).

Stress.

Drugs, both medical and recreational, tend to be acid-forming.

SYMPTOMS OF OVERACIDITY

An overacidic person may present as grouchy, sensitive, exhausted, and inclined to suffer aches, pains, and headaches. Insomnia, skin problems, a sour stomach, and acid sweat (which can discolor jewelery) are also indications of acidity. An acid environment in the tissues leads to an environment in which bugs can thrive, so an acidic person may be prone to cold sores and infections. Tell-tale acidic digestive signs are:

burping after a meal